BioWare has officially confirmed in a blog post that it will be laying off staff as part of the transition of Star Wars: The Old Republic to the new developer.
BioWare Getting Layoffs After Star Wars: The Old Republic Transition
It was earlier reported that Bioware was going to be replaced by Broadsword Games for the development of the popular MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. The game will continue to be available online but the one handling it now will be the one who will transition at a later date. This new blog post by BioWare has now officially confirmed these reports.
According to the blog post, the 12-year-old MMO will soon be transitioned to Broadsword Games, a company that has partnered with EA managing the online development and operations of its classic MMOs like Ultimate Online and Dark Age of Camelot.
Rob Denton, Broadsword’s president, actually has direct experience with SWTOR. He has helped lead the team during the launch of the game during his time at EA.
Not Everyone Getting Roles at Broadsword
Most of the members of the current development team will be offered roles at Broadsword, but unfortunately, not every role will make the move. Some will have to be let go.
“This is the hardest part of this transition, and these decisions were not made lightly,” wrote BioWare GM Gary McKay. “We are of course doing everything we can to support the affected team members, who have an opportunity to find new roles within EA.
“In addition, we’re aware that the team members who are being asked to move to a new studio will also be adapting to change, and we will be working with Broadsword to make the transition as comfortable as possible.
“In the long run, though, we are confident that this is the best decisionn for the game and its community. We at BioWare will miss being a part of SWTOR’s story going forward. But we also know that it will be in very good hands.”
BioWare will now focus more on its key franchises which are Mass Effect and Dragon Age.